The Value of Education
by CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur
Summary: Haldir and his brother's attend a masquerade ball in Imladris. Haldir gives and educational lesson after the ball. CHAPTER 6 ADDED April 24, 2006!
1. The Value of an Education

**Title:** The Value of Education  
**Author:** Carrie (CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur)  
**Rating:** R , most likely it is PWP, Lime  
**Characters:** Haldir/Lindariel (OFC), Rumil, Orophin, Erestor. Mostly told from Haldir's POV.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. Any and most definitely ALL pop culture references are intended. If you want to see pictures of the costumes mentioned in this story, just email me and I will send them to you. I also do not own ANY of the characters I reference to. You will know which ones I mean. This is all meant in good fun, and I did not intend to write a completely canon story. I do not have the knowledge for that. Please **Read** & **Review** this, but please no flames.  
**Notes:** This is my first LotR fic, so please be kind to me. I am still not sure that I got anything right, but as this is probably mostly smut, I do not believe that characterizations really matter. I really had a tough time picking a title for this from the list, because, hopefully, you will see that several fit. The title I chose mainly represents the last third of this story. This fic was an answer to a challenge on the **JulieFiannaArchive** on Yahoo Groups.  
**Betas:** will be added in AFTER they return the corrected story to me! You know who you are!

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**The Value Of Education  
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_It is not enough to conquer;  
one must know how to seduce  
- Voltaire _

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Why was I here? I couldn't remember the exact moment that I lost control of my own life, but that appears to be exactly what happened. The last thing that I clearly remember was the Lady asking my brothers and I to be her representatives at a masquerade ball in Imladris. Before I could put up the token protest, my brothers had agreed and we were on our way. We only had a few more hours to our journey, and I still had not really spoken to my brothers. But it was time to. Besides, since I had allowed them to make all the arrangements, I was quite apprehensive as to what kind of costume they would have me dressed in. I really did not want to go as an orc but I was afraid that is what they would have me go as. I, the March Warden, was afraid of my younger brothers. It was a laughable idea, but it was the unvarnished truth.

"Rumil, what was so important about this trip that you had to accept before I could?" I asked.

Before Rumil could respond, my other brother spoke for him. "Well, we had heard from the Twins about the ball recently. It is a _Coming of Age_ ball, and, as the elleth in question is rather fond of masquerades, they decided to have the ball in this manner in her honour." Orophin said rather smugly.

"Now what is the real reason you two wanted to come? And why could you have not come by yourselves? Why did you have to drag me along? And what, by Valar, am I supposed to be going as because I can already see you two going as Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb?" I questioned.

"Elladan and Elrohir said she was very pretty." Rumil confessed.

"Ah, now I see." I said as we lapsed back into silence.

Four hours later we were welcomed into Lord Elrond's house, and escorted to the suite of rooms we would be using. I noticed it was across the hall from the Twins' room. At least if my brothers got too annoying I could always kick them across the hall.

"Rumil, you never did tell me what our costumes were?" I again tried asking my brother that question.

"Well, Orophin and I are going as Fred and George Weasley." Rumil said.

"Who?" I had to ask, getting more scared by the minute about my own costume.

"Fred and George Weasley, you know the twins from the Harry Potter books." Orophin butted in.

"You two read far too much human literature. You still haven't told me what my costume is." I prodded again.

"Well, you see," Rumil hesitated before handing me a bag. "Here is your costume." He said as both Orophin and he ran out the door and presumably to safety.

This made me fear all the more what could possibly be inside this bag that was now in my hands. I was now convinced it was something along the lines of an orc or even Sauron himself. Although, how one would go about dressing up as a giant burning eye was beyond my comprehension at the moment.

I sat down on my bed and carefully opened the bag. I pulled out a ragged pair of leather boots, a ratty pair of vambraces, a torn up yellow vest-like shirt, and the most threadbare pair of leather pants I had ever laid eyes upon. And I had viewed plenty of pants in my 3000 plus years. I couldn't begin to imagine what these scraps of cloth represented in the way of a costume when I heard a noise from the doorway.

"Oh, I see your brothers gave you that costume." Erestor said from the doorway.

"So who am I supposed to be in this costume?" I asked.

"A character from the fables of man called Hercules. I believe the tale starts out something like this, _a time of myth and legend. When the ancient gods were petty and cruel, and they plagued mankind with suffering, only one man dared to challenge their power, Hercules. Hercules possessed a strength the world had never seen. A strength surpassed only by the power of his heart. He journeyed the Earth battling the minions of his wicked stepmother, Hera, the all-powerful queen of the gods. But wherever there was evil, wherever the innocent would suffer, there would be Hercules!_" Erestor recited.

"Well, he doesn't sound too bad, but why does the costume have too be so badly worn?" I asked him.

"At least you didn't lose a bet with Legolas." Erestor told me.

"Why, what is he making you wear?" I asked, suddenly thankful my brothers weren't anything like Legolas.

"I am supposed to be this crazy pirate that wears kohl liner on the eyes and beads in his hair along with several pieces of jewelry. I believe Legolas said the character's name was Jack Sparrow." He told me.

"That's **CAPTAIN** Jack Sparrow!" We heard Legolas say from the hallway as he passed my room.

"I stand corrected." Erestor snickered behind his hand. I couldn't help laughing either.

"So what is the princeling going to the ball as?" I asked.

"Another pirate, I believe he said was named Will Turner." He answered.

"Who else has already picked out their costumes?" I questioned.

"The only other one I know for sure is that Glorfindel is going as some author by the name of Fabio." He added.

"I guess I will just have to wait until the ball to find out anymore." I said as we both made to get up and leave the room.

_several hours later…._

"Hurry up, Haldir. The party is about to begin, and we do not want to miss her entrance into Elven society." Orophin pleaded.

"Have you even found out this elf maiden's name yet?" I asked.

"Yes, her name is Lindariel, and from what Elladan and Elrohir say she is as beautiful as her name." He waxed poetically.

"Well, if you are about done talking about her, I have been ready to go for several minutes." I said as I took in his costume of a maroon and gold stripe shirt, khaki pants, some type of leather arm and shin covers, gloves and a broom. "What kind of costume is that?" I asked as we started to make our way to the Great Hall where the ball would take place.

"This is a Quidditch uniform, and I told you that I was going as Fred and he's going as George." Orophin stated as he pointed to Rumil who had just met up with us, and was wearing an identical costume.

"Don't listen to him. I'm Fred and he is George." Rumil contradicted our brother.

I just shook my head at their antics as we made our way into the Great Hall. The sight that greeted us looked on the verge of chaos, but was in actuality one of carefully planned choreography. To the trained eye, everyone was where he or she was supposed to be.

It was at this point when I noticed Lord Elrond and his sons, Elladan and Elrohir. At least, I hoped it was them. Lord Elrond appeared to be wearing what men would refer to as a black suit and tie. He was also wearing dark spectacles and had his long hair pulled into a severe band at the base of his neck. The Twins appeared to be wearing the complete opposite. They were dressed in all white, with a long white coat, and dark glasses. They had even powdered their hair until it was completely white as well.

It was at this point when I noticed that Lord Elrond's Herald had moved into his position by the door.

"The Lady Lindariel, daughter of Nithron and Aeroniel." He announced as the lady in question was escorted into the room with both of her parents.

I was floored by the vision that walked into the room. She was not as tall as most elves and had long dark hair, but that wasn't what stunned me. The surprise was her costume. She was wearing this see-through robe with what looked like sandals and a corset and panties underneath. I couldn't imagine my daughter, when I had one, EVER being allowed to wear something like that.

The next couple of hours passed in a blur for me as my gaze constantly followed Lindariel around the room without ever having asked her dance.

"Why don't you quit staring, and actually ask her to dance with you, Haldir." Erestor said from behind me. "You realize your costumes are somewhat related do you not?"

"What do you mean, related?" I asked still not moving towards her to ask her to dance.

"Well, your outfit, as we already discussed, is Hercules. Her costume is of the Goddess Aphrodite." Erestor explained.

"Fine, if it will shut you up, I will ask her." I said as I made my way through the crowd to my destination.

Luckily, Lindariel had just finished dancing with Rumil when I interrupted them. "May I cut in, Rumil?"

"Sure." Rumil said to me as he turned towards Lindariel. "Lin, this is my brother Haldir. He is the one that taught me to dance." He said as he smirked and placed her hand in mine.

"If you taught him to dance, then I am afraid. He stepped on my toes a few times." She said lightly as we started to dance.

"He neglected to mention that we were elflings that had not even reached our majority yet when I attempted to teach him. I have gotten much better since then." I smiled down at her and realized that her smile reached her eyes and she was laughing at me.

"So you are the feared March Warden of Lorien. When we heard you were coming to my party, I was excited. I wanted to meet you." She admitted shyly.

"You did?" I asked. At her slight nod, I continued. "Why did you want to meet me?" I asked, trying not to concentrate on the fact that she was wearing next to nothing, and it was starting to affect me.

"The way the ladies gossip about you, I wanted to see if any of the rumours were true." She admitted.

"What rumours?" I asked genuinely curious now as the dance ended and I led her out onto the terrace for a much-needed breath of cool air.

"That you always manage to find at least one willing lady to pass the time with." Lindariel managed to whisper.

"You wanted to know this?" I asked her as I pulled her into my arms and turned her to face me. I started to lose myself in her eyes when she finally answered me.

"Yes, I uhm, have to go now." She stuttered as she pulled out of my embrace and ran away from me.

I stared as her retreating back disappeared from my line of vision as she headed off to what I assume was her room.

"Why did you scare her off like that, brother?" Rumil asked me as he came up on the scene.

"I did not mean to. She asked a question and the answer scared her off." I said.

"She is an innocent, you cannot answer her the way you do with your other conquests." He stated.

"And just how do you know this about her?" I laughed at him.

"I was threatened within an inch of my life if I hurt her, by her 'brothers,' Elladan and Elrohir. And they are really intimidating in those costumes. And if that wasn't bad enough, while they were telling me this I could see Lord Elrond staring at me in his costume. It was enough to scare the life out of me." Rumil explained. "I do not think they she has really had an opportunity to, how shall I explain this, experience life as you and I know it, brother."

"Do you know where she might be heading?" I asked, eager to find her and explain to her that I was not as bad as the rumours made me out to be. I wasn't lecherous, at least not too much so.

"I know before you cut into to dance with her, she was thinking about retiring for the evening. As much as she loves masquerades, this one had tired her out. She probably headed back to the room that Lord Elrond allocated for her use for the duration of the celebration." Rumil told me.

"So do you know which one it is?" I asked, suddenly thinking that my youngest brother was one wave short of a shipwreck.

"I am not sure I should tell you. You could force her to be your next conquest." He jokingly said.

"Rumil, I just want to apologize for startling her, and I just want to talk to her in a setting that she might be more relaxed in." I said, surprising even myself with my honesty.

"Her room is three doors down from yours on the same side of the hallway." He answered as he turned and walked back into the party that now seemed to be populated solely by the younger elves.

I hurried back towards my own rooms to change into something I felt a little more comfortable in myself. As I approached my door, I heard a noise from the direction of Lindariel's room. I approached her door and prepared to knock when I realized what I had heard was her voice singing. I knocked once and the door came open. She must not have closed it very well.

I knew I should have alerted her to my presence, but I wanted to continue listening to her for a little while longer. She wasn't in the main room as I closed her door. I had drifted closer to her voice before I realized she was in the bathing chamber. I didn't want to interrupt her, so I continued to listen to her soft voice as I moved ever closer to her. I sat down before I went too much farther, and removed my boots. I then stood back up and continued my slow progress.

I finally reached the bathing chamber doorway, and I peered in. I took a slow, deep, calming breath as I realized she was most definitely in the tub and only partially covered with bubbles. Her headleaned back against the rim of the tub with her hair hanging over the edge. She had her eyes closed as she continued to sing. She was slowly bringing one hand up to brush a stray hair off her face when I stealthily made my move. I approached the tub as silently as possible while removing my shirt, for the moment I would leave my pants on. I did not want to completely scare her with the plan that I had devised the moment I entered her room.

I approached the tub a silently as possible, and knelt down beside it. I quietly grabbed, with my right hand, the forgotten washcloth from the edge of the tub delighted that it still held plenty of soap for my purposes. Lindariel was still softly singing, and still quite unaware of my presence in the room. I slowly edged the cloth towards her shoulder that was above the water. At the contact between her skin and the soapy cloth, her eyes snapped open. I silenced her with a finger to her lips before she could say anything, and I didn't say anything to her either.

I just continued gently scrubbing her shoulders and neck with the cloth. I soaped it back up again before I could go any farther. As my hand pushed the cloth down towards her breasts, I noticed her breathing becoming deeper. I smiled as I continued to look into her eyes, which had turned a curiously dark shade of green. I continued washing her, not letting my hand linger too long in one spot. I quickly finished washing her stomach, and put the washcloth in my left hand. I pulled Lindariel slightly forward with my right arm, so that I could wash her back.

She finally found her voice when I laid her back against the tub. "I…" She started before I again silenced her.

"No talking, óre nîn." I said surprising the both of us with the endearment. I continued to stare into her eyes as I pushed the washcloth farther down on her body. I proceeded to wash both of her legs before I moved the cloth to the juncture between her legs. She sharply inhaled as I started to massage her with the cloth.

I moved my left hand to the back of her neck as I leaned forward and caught her lips with my own. I ran my tongue along her lips seeking entrance into her mouth. At the unknown sensation her lips parted and my tongue delved into the moist depth. She gradually moved both of her arms to encircle my neck as I continued to claim her mouth as my own.

I dropped the cloth from my fingers as I slowly started to trace the entrance to her vagina with my fingertips. I could feel her tense up. "Óre nîn, open up. I won't hurt you." I promised her. Realizing that part of the problem lay with our positions, I gently picked her up out of the bath and carried her into her room, placing her on her bed.

At our first broken contact in quite a while she looked up at me with an expectant gaze. I carefully climbed into the bed and lay down beside her. I leaned over and started kissing her again. This time Lindariel responded eagerly. As we continued to kiss, my fingers were starting their exploration back up. My fingers slowly started to probe at the entrance to her nether lips. As she didn't tense up at this contact, I carefully started to insert one finger into her. At this simple movement she let out a small moan.

Encouraged by this, I easily slipped another finger in and started to move them around. As I continued kissing Lindariel, I realized that her breath was quickening so I stepped up the movement. As my fingers teased her clit, I could tell that she was close to climaxing. I myself was feeling a need, but I was determined that this would be her treat not mine.

I didn't know who might be wandering near her room, so I kept my mouth upon hers in a continual kiss. I knew she was getting close, and as if in answer I felt her start to move against my hand. I put more pressure on her clit, and she started to reach the edge. With one more flick of my fingers against her clit she came.

As we lay there slowly catching our breaths, I lazily started drawing on her body with my hand.

She finally looked up at me and placed a gentle kiss on my jaw. "That was certainly a significant bit of enlightenment."

"Yes, there is a certain value to an education, óre nîn. Now let's sleep for a while." I said, knowing full well that she was exhausted after the entire day's happenings.As we continued to lay there; I was still drawing lazy circles on her. I finally drifted off to sleep sometime after she did.

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_**óre nîn** roughly translates as my heart in elvish._


	2. Why is the door locked?

**Title:** Why is the Door Locked?  
**Author:** Carrie (_CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur_)  
**Rating:** PG (at least that is what I am aiming for)  
**Characters:** Haldir/Lindariel (OFC), Lindariel's parents. Mostly told from Lindariel's POV with a small portion told from Haldir's POV.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. I may use some modern references and if I do they belong to the Great Flanneled One (You do know that is George Lucas, right?) and it is in reference to one line. See if you can find it...  
**Beta:** sadly, I have none that can do any justice to a LotR fic. Any volunteers?  
**Notes:** This is my second LotR fic, so please be kind to me. This is a continuation of my first vignette, The Value of an Education.

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**Why Is The Door Locked?**

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_"The greatest thing you'll ever learn  
is just to Love, and be Loved in return."  
_Christian - Ewan McGregor

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I woke up to the sound of pouring rain. There were no other sounds that I could discern. It still had to be rather early, so I was curious as to what had awakened me. That is when I heard two things that scared me at first.

The first was the sound of someone else breathing in my ear. The second sound was a gentle rapping on my door. I then heard something that truly scared the life out of me. My naneth's voice quietly asking if I was awake. I tried to ignore her as I snuggled deeper into Haldir's arms, which I had just realized were around me.

My movements must have woken Haldir up, because the next thing I knew I was feeling these feather-like kisses on the tip of my ear. I looked up at him and smiled shyly, still not believing what had happened last night.

"Was that your mother at the door?" He asked me.

"Yes it was, but I think she went back to bed. I heard her footsteps walking away." I answered as I stretched enough to kiss him on the lips. He turned my peck into a deep kiss when his tongue pressed my lips open.

We stayed, kissing like that, for a long time. Haldir finally broke the kiss. "It wouldn't be very good for you if I were to be caught in here if your mother comes back." He said, as he started to get up.

I sat up. "I do not want you to go." I said, pulling him back down to me.

"I do not want to go either, but it would not be proper or painless if your father were to catch us together." He said smiling, once more rising from the bed.

Just as he reached to grab his boots there was another knock at the door. This time it was harder and a little more insistent. "Lindariel, me'a nin. Are you in there?" My mother's voice asked.

Both Haldir and I froze. Neither of us dared move a muscle as we watched the doorknob turn as if in slow motion. We both breathed a sigh of relief when we realized the door was locked.

"Lindariel, why is the door locked?" This time it was my father asking.

"Just a minute Ada." I said getting up and grabbing my robe from my chair. I looked over at Haldir who had just come out of the bathroom with his shirt.

He silently walked towards me and placed a very nice, light kiss on my lips. "Until later, melamin. I will be back." He said as he walked towards the balcony and leapt to the next one over, continuing until he reached his room by way of the balconies.

I finally made it to the door as I finished tying my robe shut. I opened it and asked, "what did you two need Ada, naneth?"

"Your mother was concerned when you didn't answer the door earlier." My father answered.

"I was asleep. I guess I didn't hear you over the sound of the rain." As if on my cue we heard a loud thunderclap.

My father smiled at me. "I guess we were just worried that maybe one of those young Lórien guards had accosted you in your room."

"Oh, Ada. You can be so silly sometimes. Why would I have one of them in my room? Which ones are you referring to anyway?" I asked, hoping that neither of my parents realized I was shaking like the proverbial Mallorn leaf.

"Lord Elrond warned us about the two younger ones. I believe they were named, Orophin and Rúmil." My mother answered.

"I have never heard anything bad about those two, other than they are bigger teases than the Twins are." I answered with relief that they had not mentioned Haldir.

But as Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, my father's next statement proved it. "I, myself, was more worried about the older one. The March Warden."

I've got a bad feeling about this, I thought. To try and diffuse the argument before it even got started, I stated "But Adar, why would someone of his ilk be interested in me. I am just a young elleth from Rivendell."

My father just smiled at me, and kissed my forehead. "Why do you not get dressed and your Mother and I will escort you down to breakfast."

"All right." I said, turning to grab my clothes on the way to the bathroom. Once inside, I hurriedly got ready. Just as I was picking up my discarded robe, I noticed Haldir's vambraces still lying on the floor. I wrapped them in my robe, and put the whole bundle on my bed.

As my father escorted us out of my room, I noticed Haldir's door opening. As we walked passed it Haldir stepped out and nodded a greeting towards both of my parents. I turned my head back towards him as we turned the corner, and I caught his eye. He smiled at me and blew a kiss. I was so glad that we had not been caught this morning. It makes the anticipation of more all the more sweeter. I am definitely going to have to skip out early on this breakfast, so that I can find Haldir.

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As I woke up to a soft, warm body snuggling closer into me, I realized that I was happy for once. I started to lightly kiss Lindariel's ear. She looked up at me with that shy smile that seemed to fit her. I didn't want to leave her embrace, but I knew that if her mother had already come by once, then she would more than likely come again.

As I finally got up to gather my clothes a stronger knock hit the door. We both froze as we realized it was both her parents. I know that we are both grown elves, but it is still awkward when getting caught by an elleth's parents. I made the decision to cut across the balconies between our rooms to escape. Before I left however, I told her that I would be back.

I was back in my room and dressed by the time I heard them leaving her room. I opened my door just as they reached mine. I nodded and smiled at her parents. I avoided acknowledging Lindariel until they were just around the corner. She looked back at me with her wide eyes, and I smiled and blew her a kiss. Yes, I am definitely looking forward to later. I wonder if we can both skip out early on breakfast without causing too much of a stir? I cannot wait to find out.

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_me'a nin_ roughly means my light. 


	3. Risking Everything

**Title:** Risking Everything

**Author:** Carrie (CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur)  
**Rating: **PG (at least that is what I am aiming for)

**Characters:** Haldir/Lindariel (OFC), Lindariel's parents, Rúmil and Orophin various elves from Imladris. Mostly told from Haldir's POV.  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. I may use some modern references and if I do they belong to the Great Flanneled One (You do know that is George Lucas, right? No one found it in the last story….)

**Beta:** sadly, I have none that can do any justice to a LotR fic. Any volunteers?

**Notes: **This is my third LotR fic, so please be kind to me. This is a continuation of my first vignette, The Value of an Education and the second one, Why Is The Door Locked? You will need to have read those in order to understand where the characters are coming from. I also have NO idea how long it takes to get from Imladris to Lórien, so I am guessing at a couple of weeks of riding…if this is wrong let me know…

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**Risking Everything **

_"It's better to have lost at love than never to have loved at all."_

_Poison, "I Won't Forget You" from the Look What the Cat Dragged in LP_

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Lindariel and I were not able to catch a moment alone for the rest of our visit to Imladris. It seemed as if even the Valar were conspiring against us. Either she was with her parents or a whole group of her friends. There were even several now staying in her room with her. I silently still followed her around, making sure that no one ever caught me looking.

I couldn't believe that it was the last night we would be there. It had been a week since the party, and the closest I had come to being with her again was just a few moments ago when I passed her in the hallway. She had accidentally run into me, and as I steadied her on her feet I noticed no one else was nearby. I quickly pulled her into the nearest room and locked the door behind us. We both barely managed to say that we had missed one another before I crushed my lips to hers in a searing kiss.

"Whose room are we in?" Lindariel asked me as she broke away from the kiss.

"I am not sure," I said as I felt around for a lamp that I could light. Finally finding one, and the match to light it, I did so. We both gasped when we realized we were in her parents' room.

"They will be going to bed soon. We must leave now." She pleaded.

"But if we leave now, your friends will see us. After all, it seems as if everyone has spent the last week keeping us apart. Are you willing to risk being caught?" I asked unsure of her feelings, but increasingly becoming aware of my own growing feelings towards her.

"Haldir," Lindariel said looking into my eyes as she placed her hands on either side of my face, forcing me to look directly into her eyes. "One sentimental moment in your arms, is like a shooting star right through my heart. For one night with you, I would risk everything."

"It wouldn't be for just one night…" I left off as we heard the key turning in the lock. I pulled her into a tight embrace, and as her Parents walked in and caught sight of us standing there together, I whispered into Lindariel's ear, "I love you. Although miles come between us, just between you and me, I won't forget you."

"Aeroniel, take Lindariel to her room, and get her ready to leave. I am going to take care of things here, and then go and make our excuses to Lord Elrond as to why we are leaving early." Nithron stated as he turned to look me in the eye.

I watched as Lindariel's naneth led her from the room, but just as they got to the door Lindariel turned back and said "Ada, you always taught me that the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. Do not make a liar out of yourself."

As her naneth escorted her out of the room, her father turned to me and said, "I want you to leave this room and NEVER attempt to contact my daughter again."

"Why? We have done nothing that would warrant you taking her home." I said still fuming over the fact that her parents seemed to not care what she wanted. "She is of age to make her own choices. What do you have against her being with anyone or is it just me you object her being with?"

"My daughter may be if age, but I will not have her throw away her life on a soldier. Especially one who is from so very far away." Nithron stated. "You will leave in the morning, and you will not ever think of her again. She is not for you."

I left the room, but not without a parting word. "Just for the record, I would never have hurt Lindariel." I said quietly as I went back to my room. As I passed her door, I looked at it briefly but made no move towards it even though I wanted to barge in there, grab her, and take her with me. I knew her father was right in that aspect. She was too young to make the decision to come with me, no matter how much I wanted her to. I got to my room and ordered my brothers to pack. We were leaving at first light.

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All too soon, it seemed as if we were back in Golden Wood. I was on one of my routine patrols one afternoon, several weeks after getting back, when one of the other Wardens brought word of a small party of elves heading our way. Did I dare hope? Then I remembered that Elladan and Elrohir were supposed to be escorting Arwen here for an extended visit. So that is whom it probably was, but still something inside of me was hoping against hope.

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_three weeks earlier…_

_"Lin, what is the matter? You have been sad ever since we brought you home from the celebration." Aeroniel asked._

_"Nana, why did ada not want me to see Haldir?" I asked with tears falling down my face._

_"Oh, it is Haldir, and not the March Warden is it?" My naneth teased me. "Me'a nin, your Ada does not want to see you as a grown up elleth. He still sees you as that little elleth that used to delight in riding on his shoulders and climbing all over him at every opportunity. He will eventually come around. In the meantime, I have something that I think will cheer you up considerably."_

_"Oh, nana, nothing short of going to Lórien would make me happy." I said as I looked up into my naneth's twinkling eyes. "What are you hiding from me?"_

_"It is not you, but your Ada that I am hiding something from." She said. "You will be accompanying Elladan and Elrohir when they escort Arwen to Lórien tomorrow."_

_"Will, Ada, not get mad?" I asked. "How am I supposed to go with them?"_

_"We had arranged it long ago. I have a cousin that lives there, and you will be 'spending' time with her. Your Ada agreed to it months ago, but apparently has forgotten about it, or maybe he had hoped that we had forgotten about it." My naneth said. "But come, we have a short time to pack before the Twins come for you." She said as she led the way to my room._

_Ada was none too pleased when he discovered me with the Twins and Arwen the next morning, but it was already to late for him to stop us because he didn't discover it until we had passed the borders of the city. I could hear him yell from where we were._

1

1

I was watching the small group of six elves getting closer by the minute. Did I dare hope? I wanted to, but did I dare believe that she actually would risk it all to come here? My questions were answered a few minutes later after we dropped from the trees to greet the guests.

"Elladan." I greeted and then looked at the rest of the group. "I believed it to just be you and your brother and sister coming. Who are the rest?" I asked knowing full well, who at least one of them was, but I did not want even my brothers to know that this was the elleth that had occupied my thoughts and was the reason we left Imladris early.

"Ada felt that we needed a couple of extra guards," Elladan stated as he nodded to the guards. "And Lin, here is supposed to be visiting her naneth's cousin."

"Lindariel." I said as I took her hand and gently kissed her fingers, not caring at this point if anyone thought less of me for this display of emotion. "Let me escort all of you to the city." I said looking once again at Elladan.

"Elrohir, the guards, and I are returning home now. We were just the escorts. We will come back when the time is right, or Grandmother calls for us, whichever comes first." Elladan stated as the four elves turned their horses around and left without another word.

I mounted a horse of my own, and led Arwen and Lindariel towards the city. Apparently Arwen was excited to see her Grandmother because she took off towards the city at a fast gallop leaving Lindariel and I alone.

"So, you managed to make it here. How did you get by your Ada?" I questioned her.

"Apparently, my naneth had arranged this trip months ago with her cousin. And she didn't remind me or my Ada about it. Besides, I told you before," Lindariel continued as she stopped her horse and got off it as I did. "I would risk everything to be with you. I knew my Ada did not realize I was in the party leaving the city until I heard him scream as we left."

"Óre nîn," I mumbled as I grabbed her by her arms and pulled her towards me, crushing her lips with mine. "Let us reach the city, quickly."

"Haldir?" She asked.

"Yes." I stated.

"Take me home." She said pulling me back in for another kiss.

"Home?" I asked a little confused.

"Yes, home. You know, Lórien." Lindariel said smiling as she kissed me again. I was really starting to enjoy all of her little kisses.

"Since when did it become your home?" I asked, a little unsure of what her answer would be.

"Since, that is where my heart has resided, then that is where I need to be." She said as we made our way slowly towards the city. We stopped only once every so often to steal a few kisses, and so that I could also point out a few of the interesting landmarks to her.

* * *


	4. The Messenger

**TITLE:** The Messenger  
**AUTHOR:** Carrie (CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur)  
**RATING:** PG  
**CHARACTERS:** Haldir/Lindariel (OFC). Mostly told from Haldir's POV with a small portion told from Lindariel's POV.  
**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. Oh, I do own Dúrvain, my wonderful Elven muse. He keeps begging me to include him in a story, but as I tried explaining to him, until he is more "fleshed" out it would be pointless to include him.  
**DEDICATION:** I am dedicating this to Lurien (check out _Elanor's Revenge_ by **Juliediane** for knowledge of Lurien), who inspired me to write this with his own JFAChallenge entry…  
**BETAS:** None, yet…  
**NOTES:** Please be kind to me. I am still not sure that I got anything right.

* * *

**The Messenger**  
_"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go."  
--Hermann Hesse_

* * *

Just as Lindariel and I reached the city, I felt Galadriel calling us to her. "Come, she is waiting." I said as I led Lindariel up the stairs to where the Lady was awaiting us.

"I do not know if I will ever get used to all of this." Lindariel commented as we neared the top of the stairs.

"Get used to all of what, Lin?" I inquired.

"Being here with you." She answered simply, but I could see that she was becoming rather nervous.

"There is no need to be nervous over this meeting." I said as I leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Galadriel just wants to see if your trip was fine, and that nothing went wrong."

* * *

A short time later, Haldir was escorting me back down the stairs and towards his talan. I could not believe that I was actually here with him! I kept on feeling like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I just knew for sure that my Adar was going to chase me down here in Lórien, and drag me back home to Imladris kicking and screaming.

I soon found myself falling into a pattern of occupying my days. I would wake early in the morning, and spend my day exploring the city and its surrounding areas with Haldir, Rúmil, or Orophin, whichever one was off duty that day. If none of the three were available, one of the many off duty Wardens or Sentinels would be my escort for the day. Every one of Haldir's friends seemed to genuinely accept me, and I soon felt completely at home in Lórien.

One day when Haldir and his brothers were all on border duty, I ran into one of my favourite elves in Lórien. "Lurien! I am so happy to find you this morning."

"Lindariel, I am very glad to be of any help to you. Do you know when Haldir will be coming back from border duty?" Lurien asked me.

"Yes, he should be back in the next couple of days." I answered. "Would you like to go on a picnic with me?"

"Certainly, I would enjoy that very much. It will also give me ample time to tell you many embarrassing stories about Haldir's elfling days." Lurien replied. "Shall we stop by the kitchens on our way to the Gardens?"

"You read my mind, Lurien." I smiled as I took hold of his arm that he offered me as we made our way towards the kitchens and then on towards the Gardens.

About an hour later, I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. "Oh, Lurien, you must tell me another story. I need something to hold over his head in case we ever argue. I need a way to win."

"Well, the only other story that I can remember, that would be even remotely funny, happened when Haldir was only about six years old. I am not even sure I am remembering this correctly, because I am the same age as he is. At any rate, one summer, when he was about six, there was this big festival being held here. All the Elven Realms were celebrating, and the city was filled to the brim." Lurien paused in his story.

"Well, what happened next?" I asked.

"You must understand; this was before Rúmil and Orophin were even a gleam in their parents' eyes." He paused, and then continued when I nodded. "At the time Haldir, was a very spoiled child, he and I were, in fact, the first elflings to be born in a long time in Lórien, so we were both rather spoiled with attention. And on this day, we were both being ignored for the first time in our young lives. Okay, so this is a rather embarrassing story for the both of us." Lurien smiled at me.

"That is alright. I will not count it against you. But please, continue." I promised.

"Well, Haldir and I were both getting rather hungry, and neither one of us managed to gain the attention of our parents. We heard some elves talking about the fruit bushes near the edge of the forest, so we made our way there. We only had one thought on our minds, to find the fruit bush so we could eat. Eventually we made it to the bush, and there were the biggest blackberries we had ever saw. We started picking and eating the berries until our little tummies had completely filled up." He again paused, but only to take a drink this time.

"We did not realize that we had been there all day, but at some point, we had fallen asleep. Apparently, several hours had passed and all of the adults were out searching for us, while we slept our day away contentedly beside the blackberry bush. It was not until near suppertime that Elrond finally came upon our sleeping forms. He 'called' to Galadriel so as not to awake us, and she sent our parents in the correct direction. They soon found us, and woke us up. But do you know how they woke us up?" Lurien asked me sounding truly upset.

"No, how did they wake the two of you younglings up?" I queried.

"They laughed at us!" Lurien exclaimed, and I could not help laughing at his indignant look.

"I am sorry, I am not laughing at you, but with you." I tried claiming, but Lurien knew that was a thinly veiled lie.

"At any rate, after Haldir and I were so rudely woken up, our parents made it their mission to point out our berry stained faces to every elf we passed on our way home. The worst part was when they paraded us in front of the Lord and Lady. The two of us truly thought we would never get over the embarrassment of it all." Lurien finished as we started to pack up the remainder of our picnic. When everything was packed away, we headed back to the heart of the city where our talans are.

Just as we got to the steps leading to Haldir's and my talan, a messenger met me with a package that I took up the stairs with me.

Lurien walked me up to the door, where he hugged me and bid me farewell. "I had a lot of fun today, but if you ever tell anyone what I told you today, I will deny everything." He smiled as he turned and left.

I was curious what the package was, so I took it to the balcony to open.

* * *

Several weeks after Lindariel's arrival in Lórien, a rider from Imladris arrived in the Golden Woods. I started to worry about the messenger when I heard Galadriel's voice echo in my head.

"There is nothing you need to fear about this missive. No one will part you from your óre nîn. It is just a message from her naneth." Galadriel said.

"Thank you," I answered as I made my way back home from a week's worth of border duty.

* * *

Walking into our talan, I realized that Lindariel was out on the balcony. "Are you okay?" I asked when I noticed that she was softly crying over something written in the letter.

"I am fine. I was just getting sentimental over some things my naneth sent me along with her letter." Lindariel answered.

"What did your naneth have to say?" I questioned.

"She said that she realized she had to let me go if she had any hope of ever seeing me happy again, and that by letting me go she was making herself stronger and more able to withstand the separation when they finally sail to the West. She also said that Ada has more or less calmed down, but she still has to keep him distracted enough so he will not come after me. She did say that Lord Elrond has been helping with that. She also sent me several mementos from home." Lindariel replied.

"Like what?" I fished for an answer.

"Some paintings from home, some of my clothes, my only baby doll I have left, and a few other things from her alone." She barely whispered the last couple of items, as if still having one of her dolls embarrassed her.

"So what did you do today to occupy your time?" I asked her as I leaned forward and pulled her into a kiss.

"Lurien and I went on a picnic since no one else was around. And he told me some of the most delightful stories about the two of you from when you were very young elflings." She laughed.

"Oh please tell me I do not have to kill him because he told about the berry incident?" I cringed not really wanting to know the answer to that question.

"Yes, he did, but you do not have to worry. The only people I would ever tell that story to would be our own elflings." She answered.

That caught my attention. "You want to have elflings with me?"

"Someday, when we are truly ready to be parents, then I will definitely want to have elflings with you. You will make an excellent Ada." Lindariel whispered as she leaned in to kiss me back.

Of course, that kiss led to another and then another, until we were both heavily panting, and I picked her up to carry her inside to the bedroom.

* * *


	5. Too Noisy to Sleep

**Title:** Too Noisy to Sleep  
**Author:** Carrie _(CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur)_  
**Rating:** PG, if not G  
**Characters:** Haldir/Lindariel (OFC), Cirithon (OMC). Told from Haldir's POV.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. This takes place several years after _"The Messenger"_ from the Fourth JFA Challenge.  
**Summary:** Haldir is trying to take a nap, but his five-year-old son has other ideas.  
**Notes:** I know that elflings more than likely mature at a faster rate than human children, but bear with me on this one. It is not much of an idea, but it did make me laugh.

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**Too Noisy to Sleep**

_How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid?  
It must be education that does it. **Alexandre Dumas **_

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"Ada!" Cirithon yelled as he came sliding into the couch I was trying to take a nap on.

"What do you need Cir?" I asked as I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"Are we having dinner with Celeborn?" He questioned.

"That is Lord Celeborn, and yes we are once the delegates from Mirkwood arrive." I answered. "Now may I get back to my nap?"

Cirithon smiled and turned to walk away, but then stopped. He came running back, and again had a question. "Ada?"

"Yes, Ciri?" I asked through half-closed eyelids.

"When is my Begetting Day party?" He asked.

"The day after the Mirkwood Elves leave." I answered, once again laying back to try and sleep.

"Ada?" My son quietly asked.

"What now Cir?" I answered, starting to get fed up with my own elfling.

"I had a forgotted dream, that I just I remember when…." He said, trailing off.

"Ciri, what was the dream about?" I asked my son.

"I don't know, Ada. I forgotted it." He said. "I have something else to ask you."

"Then what, Ciri?" I asked.

"When Unca Rúmil goes hunting, does he take the leaky barrel to still waters, or does he turn temptation inside out and wait with a sweet or spicy baited hook?" He finally finished his question.

"Cir, where in all of the rainbows in the waters of Arda do you come up with these questions?" I asked my son, dreading the answer because I knew my moral dilemma was if I should tell my bright and beautiful son just one tiny lie to get him to leave me alone so I could take my nap.

"Ada? Are you listening to me? I asked you a question, and you didn't answer me?" Cirithon broke into my musings.

"What did you ask this time?" I queried.

"If I go to target practice with you and Unca Rúmil and Unca Orophin, and I am really really good and I stay good through Lurien's lesson that is always really really boring, will I get a reward?" He slowed down and took a breath.

"Well, your naneth and I should be able to come up with some kind of temporary arrangement with Rúmil and I am sure it would be Orophin's dream to watch you long enough for us to go on a treasure hunt to find something to reward you with." I answered him.

"Ada?" He asked once again.

"Yes, Ciri?" I questioned.

"Will it be a new dog or pony or kitty cat?" He asked.

"I am sure it will be a reward well earned. Now go play so I can get some sleep." I said as I herded my son towards the door of our talan. I knew, however that as there is a chance of fire in a summer storm that he would be back. Just a short time later he was.

"Ada?" He whispered loudly in my ear. "Ada, are you awake?"

"Yes, Ciri, I am. What do you need to know now?" I asked.

"Ada, what is more than myth, kisses at midnight or Rivendell revelry or onions and beans for supper?" He asked.

"Cir, you cannot be serious?" I asked, really starting to wonder if the Valar did just not want to be helping Haldir today.

"I'm not Sirius Ada! That is a guy from those Harry Potter books Unca Rúmil and Unca Orophin read to me. I'm Cirithon, your son." He said, quite pleased with himself.

"Yes, you are." I answered.

"Ada, is it true that birds of a feather helped to rescue the Hobblits who destroyed the lost ring?" He asked.

"It is Hobbits not Hobblits, and yes, some of the Giant Eagles helped to rescue Sam and Frodo from the slopes of Mt. Doom." I said thinking that maybe he had listened to the lessons we had been grooming him for success with.

"Ada, are you going to take me for one last ride on your shoulders while you are raking around the leaves that have taken the fall off our tree?" He asked.

"Yes, I will. Before we met, I don't know who ever kept me so entertained. But I really would like to get back to my nap. Can you promise me forever to keep the noise down to a dull roar?" I asked my son.

"Okay, but I only have a couple more questions." Cirithon stated.

"Okay, go ahead and ask them." I answered.

"What does Unca Rúmil mean when he says that he has caught the scent of an elleth?" He asked.

"Cir, I am not answering that one, ask your Uncle Rúmil the next time he is on a date." I said.

"Okay, Ada. Ada, what is the Fletching Fiasco that Unca Orophin and Lurien told me to ask you about?" He asked.

"Ciri! I am not about to answer that!" I said rather upset with my own brother and the Sentinel for even mentioning that debacle.

"Ada, who left the lembas in the rain?" He asked.

"Cirithon I am finished answering these silly questions!" I raised my voice, and then turned towards the main room of the talan. "Lindariel, come and get your son! It is too noisy to sleep in here!"

"Oh, so he is your son when he is an angel, but he is mine when he starts asking questions?" My wife asked.

"Yes, exactly." I said as I gave up on sleep and walked over to my wife to give her a kiss.


	6. The Napping Elfling

**TITLE:** The Napping Elfling  
**AUTHOR:** Carrie _(CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur)_  
**RATING:** PG, if not G  
**CHARACTERS:** Haldir/Lindariel (OFC), Cirithon (OMC) and a little Orophin and Rúmil. Told from Haldir's POV.  
**DISLCAIMER:** I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. This takes place right after _"Too Noisy to Sleep" _from the Fifth JFA Challenge.  
**SUMMARY:** Cirithon FINALLY takes his nap.  
**NOTES:** I know that elflings more than likely mature at a faster rate than human children, but bear with me on this one.

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**The Napping Elfling**

_The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child. **Joe Houldsworth **_

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Later that afternoon, I was out searching for my son, Cirithon. It was time for the evening meal, and I could not find him anywhere. I looked in all of his favourite hiding spots, but nothing. He was nowhere. I finally ran into one of my brothers.

"Rúmil, have you ran across Ciri at any point this afternoon?" I asked him.

"No, but apparently he has just as much aptitude for hiding from his Ada as we did." Rúmil answered me. "I will continue to look for him, and if I find him I will bring him home."

"_Hannon le_." I said as I nodded at my brother and turned to go on my way.

Several minutes later, and I had exhausted all of Cirithon's hiding spots. I finally made my way back to the talan trying to figure out how I was going to tell Lindariel about our missing elfling. My wife startled me out of my thoughts as I walked through the open door.

"Haldir, did you find Ciri?" She asked me, her voiced tinged with a hint of uneasiness.

"No, but I am confident that he will come to no harm, and I know that none of the Wardens or Sentinels would let him go very far." I said trying to convince myself of that fact.

"You are right." Lindariel said. "We can go out looking for him again after we partake in the meal." She said as she walked into the dining area.

We ate rather quickly, so that we could both set out looking for our missing elfling. As we wandered through the trees I couldn't help but remember the night that we found out we were expecting him.

_.z.z.z.z.z.flashback.z.z.z.z.z._

"_Are you sure that everything is alright?" I asked Lindariel._

"_Yes, you silly, silly, silly elfling." She told me as she took my head in her hands and brought my face close to hers. She then leaned into kiss my lips very tenderly._

"_I am not an elfling." I answered a little mischieviously._

"_Well, you can act like it sometimes." She said._

"_Are you sure that everything…?" I left off because she had silenced me once again with a kiss._

"_The Lady has said that everything is as it should be. Our family is growing right on schedule." Lindariel answered as she kissed me again._

"_Oh, that is good then." I said not really processing what she had told me. "Wait a minute…what do you mean by growing?"_

"_Just that…our family is growing." Lindariel smiled as she gestured to her abdomen._

"_A little one?" I asked suddenly a little scared of this._

"_Yes, a little one." She answered me with a little kiss on my cheek._

"_A little one. Our own little one." I said a little awed by this fact._

"_Yes, fairly soon we will have our own little one to show off." Lindariel said laughing at my pleasure._

"_What shall we name him?" I asked, suddenly sure that it would be a he._

"_Oh, you are convinced then, that it will be a he." Lindariel asked._

"_Yes." I answered matter of factly._

"_Well, I was thinking that maybe we could name her Aerlinniel if it is a girl and Cirithon if it is a boy." She asked me with a hint of a question in the air._

"_Well, since I know he is going to be a he then I guess his name will be Cirithon." I said pulling Lindariel into a hug and kissing her on the lips very gently. "I am very happy, you know?"_

"_Yes I know." She answered me back whispering into my neck. "Now let us go home and celebrate."_

"_Your wish is my command óre nîn." I said kissing her once more before leading her back to our talan._

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"Haldir, we have been searching for so long. What happens if we do not find him? I want him back." Lindariel said bringing me out of my remembering.

"We will, _óre nîn_, we will." I said pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the forehead.

"Let us go check with Orophin. You know how Ciri gets sometimes. Maybe he is hiding out there." I said suddenly getting an idea of the one place I had not checked earlier.

"I thought that you had checked everywhere?" She asked me.

"Orophin was not home when I checked, but he may be now." I said leading her off towards his talan.

Once there I did not even get the chance to knock before the door opened and Orophin was waiting for us.

"Shhhh…please be quiet." Orophin motioned us towards the pallet in the corner of the room.

"Haldir…" Lindariel left off hurrying to the pallet on which the sleeping form of Cirithon was.

"Orophin?" I asked.

"Yes, brother o' mine." He answered me.

"Why is it that he would not let me take my nap earlier, but you want me to let him continue playing the napping elfling?" I asked him while trying to suppress my laughter that threatened to break through.

"Haldir." Lindariel said coming back over to us. "Why do we not just leave Cirithon here and go home and work on another little one?"

"What an excellent idea." I said as I walked her out of Orophin's talan.

"Hey! You cannot just leave him here." Orophin said to our retreating backs. "I have an elleth coming over later."

"Well, at least we know you will not be fathering a little one of your own tonight now." Lindariel called back over her shoulder, and I could not hold back any longer. All Orophin heard for several minutes was the sound of my laugher.

_**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **__**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **__**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **_

_**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **__**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **__**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **_

**_óre nîn_** – translates roughly as my heart in Elvish.

**_hannon le_** – translates as thank you in Elvish.

_**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **__**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **__**.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. **_

**_.z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. .z.z.z.z.z. _**


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